UH Medical School among nation's top in diabetes research

Diabetes Month a time to focus on disparities in Hawaii

UH Manoa's John A. Burns School of Medicine is recognized as one of the country's leading medical centers in diabetes research by a national news network. The medical school's contribution is highlighted as part of National Diabetes Awareness Month, and serves as a newsworthy reminder of lingering health disparities among Hawai'i's diverse ethnic groups.

Native Hawaiians, Filipinos, and Japanese are all 2 times more likely to have diabetes than Caucasians in Hawaiüîi. Native Hawaiians are 5.7 times more likely to die from diabetes or itscomplications than Caucasians, according to data collected through the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

The medical school is training community health workers statewide on basic facts about diabetes. An ongoing research project is aimed at weight loss and weight maintenance throughbehavioral lifestyle intervention for at-risk individuals.

And several pilot studies by community investigators aim to better understand the effects of diabetes in their communities.Dr. Richard Arakaki and Dr. Marjorie Mau, both endocrinologists, were lead investigators for a multi-centered randomized control trial on the prevention of diabetes. The study, fundedby the National Institutes of Health, was ended early because it was found that a modest lifestyle intervention was more effective at preventing diabetes in those at high risk compared to drug therapy and control.

Dr. Brady, Associate Chair of the Department of Native Hawaiian Health, has also agreed to answer questions about diabetes posed by web readers from around the nation during this month-long spotlight on diabetes.###